Page 15 - AT Sept 3 2020

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sports Thursday 3 sepTember 2020

Angelique Kerber, of Germany, returns a shot to Anna-Lena
Friedsam, of Germany, during the second round of the U.S. Open
tennis championships, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in New York.
Associated Press
Angelique Kerber

gets past uncertainty,

advances at U.S. Open Belgium's Wout Van Aert is directed after crossing the finish line to win the fifth stage of the Tour de
France cycling race over 183 kilometers (113,7 miles) with start in Gap and finish in Privas, south-
ern France, Wednesday, Sept.2, 2020.
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — So much which weighed on her Alaphilippe stripped of yellow
uncertainty accompanied when she headed for New
Angelique Kerber when York. How would all that
she boarded the plane for time away from competi- jersey by Tour de France jury
her trip to the U.S. Open. tion translate to a Grand
The 2016 champion hadn't Slam? How would it play PRIVAS, France (AP) — Ju- from a staff member of his lometres," the UCI said.
played a match in seven out amid all the changes lian Alaphilippe's ride in the Deceuninck-Quick Step Alaphilippe's teammate
months. She knew every- brought about by the coro- yellow jersey is over, and squad about 18 kilometers Dries Devenyns said the
thing would be different navirus pandemic? his rivals had nothing to do (11 miles) from the finish. jury's decision was harsh.
at Flushing Meadows — no "I was sitting on the plane with it. Under racing rules, riders "There is no time gain in tak-
crowds, no city life, none of and I was like, 'OK, let's see The Tour de France leader are not allowed to receive ing a bottle from the side
what makes the U.S. Open what happens,'" she said. was stripped of the cov- provisions — either drinks or of the road," he wrote on
such a spotlight. "It's not so easy. We had eted shirt on Wednesday food — during the final 20 Twitter.
One she'd love to have such a long break. You after being handed a time kilometers (12.5 miles) of a Yates now tops the stand-
back again. need a little time to find penalty for illegally receiv- stage. Deceuninck-Quick ings with a three-second
The 17th-seeded Ker- your way and your rhythm ing provisions near the Step did not immediately lead over Primoz Roglic.
ber moved into the third again." end of Stage 5, which had explain why the staff mem- Tadej Pogacar, another
round Wednesday with a Kerber's win with the roof been largely uneventful ber was posted inside that Slovenian rider, stands
solid showing that brought closed at Louis Armstrong until then. zone and why he handed third, four seconds further
some much-needed con- Stadium started the third British rider Adam Yates was out the bottle to the French back. Alaphilippe dropped
fidence. Her 6-3, 7-6 (6) day of the tournament, moved up to first place in rider. to 16th overall, 16 seconds
victory over Anna-Lena when a chance of rain was the revised general stand- Cycling's governing body, behind the new leader.
Friedsam had her feeling forecast. ings after Alaphilippe was the UCI, said in a statement "It was a very long and very
more at home in the place No. 6 seed Petra Kvitova docked 20 seconds. that two other riders, Sepp boring stage, with a very
where she made her WTA also moved into the third "I don't think any rider would Kuss and Carlos Verona, nervous finale. I had to stay
Tour breakthrough in 2011 round with an uneven want to take the jersey like were also penalized 20 sec- concentrated to defend
by reaching the semifinals. match that helped her this," Yates said. "I just found onds for the same offense. the jersey," said the French-
"It's a really special place adapt to the new con- out. Nobody wants to take "The absence of feeding man, who is not seen as a
for me," the 32-year-old ditions. She was nervous a jersey like this." in the last 20 kilometres is contender for the overall
Kerber said. "Everything in the first set but played Only minutes after versatile a rule that the teams are victory. "But if that's how
starts for me here in 2011, a much steadier in a 7-6 (3), Belgian rider Wout van Aert familiar with and that pre- it is, then no worries, to-
long time ago." 6-2 victory over Kateryna won the stage in a sprint fin- vents that the feeding morrow I'll pick myself up
She hadn't played com- Kozlova, ranked No. 99 in ish, TV footage showed Ala- doesn't disturb the race at and we won't talk about it
petitively in seven months, the world.q philippe grabbing a bottle the entrance of the last ki- anymore."q

Golf’s HSBC Champions in Shanghai canceled due to COVID-19

SHANGHAI, China (AP) — The International Federation of PGA Tours ment guidelines and being mindful of the logistical implications, we
confirmed the inevitable on Wednesday when it canceled the HSBC collectively made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 event."
Champions World Golf Championships event in China. Two other golf tournaments have been moved out of Asia and to the
The tournament was scheduled for Oct. 29-Nov. 1 at Sheshan Interna- United States in the past two weeks. The Zozo Championship set for
tional Golf Club in Shanghai. The Chinese government announced in Japan is now scheduled to be played Oct. 22-25 at Sherwood Country
July that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country would not Club in Thousand Oaks, California, with Tiger Woods as the defending
host international sports events for the rest of 2020. champion.
"We have worked extensively with all tours, international officials, the It will be called the Zozo Championship at Sherwood, a similar title to
China Golf Association and other local parties to find a solution to host the South Korean event moving to Las Vegas the week before. That
the WGC-HSBC Champions," Ty Votaw, PGA TOUR Executive Vice Presi- one will be called the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek. Both tournaments are
dent, International, said in a statement. "In line with Chinese govern- expected to return to Asia in 2021.q